Souper Fresh on Hongmei Lu is a schlep from downtown, but once you take it all in–comfy chairs, alluring dessert case and rainbow of a salad bar–the trek fades into memory, replaced by hunger. You’re at Shanghai’s best salad bar.

The casual, American-style eatery is all about the numbers. There are seven kinds of greens, including spinach, rocket, mesclun and romaine; 30 enticing toppings, including sliced bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, tofu, bacon, chicken, black olives, brocolli, shredded carrots, cucumber, couscous, pasta, egg and potato salads, nuts, seeds and raisins; nine varieties of dressing, like ranch, balsamic and black sesame, all in neatly labeled squirt bottles.

The soup and salad buffet (RMB58) includes soup, pizza, salad, bread and hot foods (a rotating selection that offered chicken and mushroom rice bake and pasta arrabbiata when we were there). Drinks and dessert ordered with the buffet are 50 percent off. À la carte salad and bread is RMB38 (RMB28 take-away).

There is no pretension, the servers are smiley and helpful, and the background music is light and poppy. All the ingredients are fresh, simple and overwhelmingly satisfying. The soup, with options like carrot, orange, clam chowder and Thai-style spicy pumpkin and prawn, is smooth, creamy, tangy and salty where appropriate.

Although your stomach may bulge after the meal, be sure to slice through a piece of chocolate mousse (RMB28 or RMB14 with the buffet) and savor the Oreo crust, fluffy mousse and thin layer of vanilla buttercream frosting. Desserts range from RMB6 (cookie) to RMB20 (cheesecake).

Souper Fresh may not have a lot of competition, but it’s our favorite healthy-eating option. There’s only one thing we caution you to avoid, and that’s the coffee.

DETAILS

What: Souper Fresh

Where: 1/F, 3213 Hongmei Lu 虹梅路3213号1楼

Tel: 3415-1677